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Monday, April 21, 2014

This year when I saw raw mangoes arrive in the market I decided to
pickle them. Yo(my husband is very fond of pickles) and nowadays the pickles we
buy in the market have a pungent flavor to them, no matter which brand you buy,
eventually you wear off the brands as you start feeling this. So, I thought
better make them at home. I was not sure
whether I should make Avakkai(the south Indian style) mango pickle or the
Gujarati style Mango pickle so I asked all my Facebook friends and somehow got
tempted to make the Methi Rai Kuria Mango Pickle. I absolutely adore the Mango
pickles that my Gujarati neighbor used to make in big porcelain pickle jars
during the summer months back in India. Not only would the home made ones have
a lot of Masala, but the mangoes would also be quite soft unlike the ones we
buy from the shop.

I read on some websites that this pickle is made either with methi na kuria
(crushed fenugreek seeds) or rai na kuria (split mustard seeds). I decided to
add both because I like the masala more than the mango itself.

If I can make these at home anyone can make it…It’s incredibly easy to
make. The main preparation is the
ingredients, once everything is ready, it is only assembly.

Before you start the process of assembly you need to take the following
precautions.

·Work in an open space with the windows open.

·Don’t sit under the ceiling fan lest the masala
blows into your eyes and nose.

·Wear plastic disposable gloves, because some
people have sensitive hands and they may find their hands burning with the
chilly powder for a long time.

Method

First wash the mangoes, wipe them and then cut them in big chunks, I
made slightly smaller chunks. After you cut don’t wash them, just let them dry
out on a newspaper in the sun for a while. Meanwhile make your other
ingredients ready.

Lightly Roast the whole fenugreek seeds and when cool, crush them
coarsely as shown in the picture.

Lightly Roast the Broken Yellow Mustard seeds, this is readily
available in the market. No need to grind this, you can use it as it is.

Heat the oil lightly till it is warm (not up to the smoking point) and
let it cool. This process is to remove the raw smell of the oil. This step
maybe avoided in the readymade pickles available in the market hence the
pickles start to give a pungent odor.

As you can see in the picture I kept all my ingredients ready.

I mixed the salt, red chilly powder, crushed fenugreek seeds, the
roasted broken yellow mustard seeds and asafetida together in a big open plate,
After which I added the cut mango chunks.

Ensure everything coats well.

Finally add in the Oil and give it a good
mix.

You can mix using a spatula or your hand.

Once you feel everything is
mixed well, slowly, gently take spoonfuls and drop into a sterilized porcelain
or glass jar/bottle. Every day keep the jar in the sun for 2-3 hours.

The pickling process starts as the Mangoes start to marinate in the
masala.

Every day in the morning open the jar and with a long dry spoon, give
it a good stir.

In about 10-15 days the pickle is ready for you’ll to eat.

I have not used any preservative. The oil and salt are natural
preservatives and will help preserve the pickle.

This pickle can be stored for a year but you have to be careful not to
use a wet spoon while you scoop out small portions for your immediate everyday
servings.

Store this in a cool dry place. Enjoy this lovely condiment with your
food.

Tips

·Preferably use Kashmiri chilly powder as it
imparts a lovely red color to the pickle.

·This pickle can also be made with ½ cup rai na
kuria (split mustard seeds) only.

·This pickle can also be made with ½ cup methi na
kuria (crushed fenugreek seeds) only.

·If you wish, you can use drained baby mangoes in
brine, in which case, you should reduce the quantity of salt in this recipe.